Nepal: Performance Art in Kathmandu Valley

Nepal: Performance Art by AnonymousThe essence of Kathmandu Valley - colour, religion and a touch of surreal madness - can be found in the sculptures of its gods and goddesses. They have great beauty by themselves, but it is enhanced by a constant ritual of performance art. The artists are many. The monk, leaving a flower in the lap of the god. The child, hanging sacred threads around the neck and pushing grains of rice in its mouth. The monkey, stealing some a few minutes later. The old lady, smearing red and yellow powder on the gods chakras. The rain, washing the pigments out, creating the nuances of a watercolour. And time, rotting the mandarine offering, turning orange into green. Add bird droppings and the occasional animal blood during a ritual. No single artist ever could reach the result. And in the process the hindu and buddhist gods of Nepal are reincarnated into a fresh work of art every single day.

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'Saraswati, goddess of learning.'
Relief of Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning, at a small temple near Lele, south of Patan. All those who worship her are believed to receive wisdom and learning. As goddess of music and poetry she is revered alike by Hindus and Buddhist. She is holding and playing Bina with her two hands and in her other left hand she holds a copy of the vedas. Her mount is a peacock. Yellow and red powder has been smeared on the sculpture during puja offerings. Photo Paul Smit.

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’Sunny face.’
One of the many reliefs and statues which can be found on Kathmandu's Pachali Ghat is this anthropomorphic sundisc, the sun god Surya. Yellow and red powder has been smeared on the relief during a puja offering. Photo Mick Palarczyk.

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'Buddhas in Patan.'
A statue with four buddhas facing the directions of the compass occupies a small square south of Patan's Durbar Square. During puja offerings the sculpture has received donations of coloured powder and flowers. Photo Paul Smit.

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’Hanuman at Swayambhu stupa.’
Statue of Hanuman on the temple grounds of Swayambhu stupa, at the western outskirts of Kathmandu has received a puja offering of rice and a flower garland. Owing to his ability to ward of evil spirits, the Hindu monkey god Hanuman is one of the most popular gods in Nepal. His statues are often covered in vermilion paste. Photo Paul Smit.

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'Bell at Kathmandu's shrine of Pachali Bhairava.'
The top of a bell at Kathmandu's shrine of Pachali Bhairava is decorated with the head of Bhairava.
Bhairava is the fierce manifestation of Shiva, associated with annihilation and the march of time. He can be identified here by his bulging eyes, his mustache and the crescent moon of Shiva on his forehead. Photo Paul Smit.

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'Bell at Kathmandu's shrine of Pachali Bhairava.'
The top of a bell at Kathmandu's shrine of Pachali Bhairava is decorated with the head of Bhairava.
Bhairava is the fierce manifestation of Shiva, associated with annihilation and the march of time. He can be identified here by his bulging eyes, his mustache and the crescent moon of Shiva on his forehead. Yellow flowers have been offered to the god during a puja offering. Photo Paul Smit.

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'Matsya on Bhaktapur's Hanuman Ghat.'
Upper part of a relief showing Matsya, located on Bhaktapur's Hanuman Ghat. Vishnu, in his incarnation of Matsya the Fish, rescued the sacred Vedas that had been stolen from Brahma and thrown in the ocean. During a deluge he also saved Manu, the Hindu equivalent of Noah, by towing his boat to a mountaintop. The sculpture has received offerings of flowers and red powder. Photo Paul Smit.

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'Bhairava in Bhaktapur.'
Sculpture of Bhairava in Bhaktapur. Bhairava is the fierce manifestation of Shiva, associated with annihilation and the march of time. He can be identified here by his bulging eyes and the crescent moon of Shiva in his hair. The sculpture has received offerings of flowers and red powder. Photo Paul Smit.

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’Krishna playing the flute.’
This statue of Krishna playing the flute can be found on Kathmandu's Pachali Ghat, along the Bagmati River. Yellow and red powder has been smeared on the sculpture during a puja offering. Photo Mick Palarczyk.

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'Buddhas in Patan.'
A statue with four buddhas facing the directions of the compass occupies a small square south of Patan's Durbar Square. During puja offerings the sculpture has received donations of coloured powder and flowers. Photo Paul Smit.

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’Hanuman at Swayambhu stupa.’
On the temple grounds of Swayambhu stupa, at the western outskirts of Kathmandu, a monkey is investigating a statue of Hanuman. Owing to his ability to ward of evil spirits, the Hindu monkey god Hanuman is one of the most popular gods in Nepal. His statues are often covered in vermilion paste as a result of puja offerings. Photo Paul Smit.

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'Hanuman on Bhaktapur's Hanuman Ghat.'
Statue of Hanuman on Bhaktapur's Hanuman Ghat (along the Hanumante River). Owing to his ability to ward of evil spirits, the Hindu monkey god Hanuman is one of the most popular gods in Nepal. Corns of rice have been pushed in the mouth of this Hanuman during a puja offering. The puja is a personal ritual which may be done before any sacred spot and can consist of an offering of flowers, incense, butter lamps, abhir (coloured powder) and various kinds of food.
This statue has received so much vermilion powder during offering that it just looks like an orange blob. Photo Paul Smit.

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'Bell at Kathmandu's shrine of Pachali Bhairava.'
The top of a bell at Kathmandu's shrine of Pachali Bhairava is decorated with the head of Bhairava.
Bhairava is the fierce manifestation of Shiva, associated with annihilation and the march of time. He can be identified here by his bulging eyes, his mustache and the crescent moon of Shiva on his forehead. Yellow flowers have been offered to the god during a puja offering. Photo Paul Smit.

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'Matsya on Bhaktapur's Hanuman Ghat.'
Statue of Matsya, located on Bhaktapur's Hanuman Ghat. Vishnu, in his incarnation of Matsya the Fish, rescued the sacred Vedas that had been stolen from Brahma and thrown in the ocean. During a deluge he also saved Manu, the Hindu equivalent of Noah, by towing his boat to a mountaintop. Photo Paul Smit.

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'Shiva on Bhaktapur's Hanuman Ghat.'
This statue of Shiva, the Hindu God of Destruction, holding his divine bow, is located on Bhaktapur's Hanuman Ghat. Red powder has been smeared on the sculpture during puja offerings. Photo Paul Smit.

Sculpture of Bhairava in Bhaktapur. Bhairava is the fierce manifestation of Shiva, associated with annihilation and the march of time. He can be identified here by his bulging eyes and the crescent moon of Shiva in his hair. The sculpture has received offerings of flowers and red powder. Photo Paul Smit.